Flowering talent puts it down to his iPad app

A Salford 22-year-old with profound speech impediments who has learned to communicate using an iPad has won a string of awards for his horticultural work.

Moishy Hassell, who attends Langdon College, had found it impossible to communicate with anyone outside of family and close acquaintances.

But a special iPad app which allows him to maintain a work placement at a garden centre - and even tell people what he wants for lunch - has changed his life.

Mr Hassell won a regional gardening accolade for his work with pot plants at a special needs award ceremony and was this week presented with Langdon's annual award for progress. He responded with a speech, using his iPad, to 160 guests.

It's a totally different life and we are proud of him

Langdon's education head Christine England said: "Moishy has gone from really not having any social communication or independence to making friends and using a device which takes him into the outside world. He goes shopping, to work experience, to the gym.

"We discovered he's quite a comedian. That's come out because he can now communicate. It's a totally different life and we are very proud of him."

His mother, Judith, said: "We are delighted because he has a lot of illnesses and only half his hearing and sight. He's been keeping cheerful and catching up with life and accomplishing. Langdon has been marvellous."